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Home Schooling

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Vaunsmom11
  2/21/2017 14:29 EST

Hello, we are really considering moving to Costa Rica from Colorado. We are still researching where we want to live, but in the meantime I wanted to find some information regarding homeschooling. We have a soon to be 4th grader and I am considering homeschooling before we enroll him into a school were we end up residing. Does anyone have any information regarding homeschooling in Costa Rica? Is there any type of record keeping or academic progress tracker to make sure we are on track with his age group and learning curriculum? Are credits transferrable in case we did move back to the states and/or when he is ready for college? Thank you!

Kohl
  2/21/2017 15:11 EST

Home schooling is not considered legal by the government.

Of course some do it, but if he becomes a Permanent resident this could be a problem...and the government has been known to act on it, by 'insisting' that he enrolls in a school, either public or private.

Public school studies will be taught in Spanish.

He would be required to enroll in a International accredited private school for credit while here. These are often bi-lingual

These private facilities are not cheap...and outside of the central valley, the choices are less.

http://www.ticotimes.com/costa-rica-reference/private-schools/

http://costaricalaw.com/costa-rica-legal-topics/immigration-and-residency/residency-general-information-and-summary/

http://costaricalaw.com/category/costa-rica-legal-topics/working-in-costa-rica/

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Blueridgeboy1
  2/21/2017 16:48 EST

I thought this was a good question, so I Googled Homeschooling in Costa Rica. Quite a few good sources, including links to home school curriculums based out of US schools.. Have you tried Google?

Vaunsmom11
  2/21/2017 17:54 EST

Yes, I have looked at Google. I thought I would check here to see if anyone could provide their personal experience or feedback with homeschooling.

Vaunsmom11
  2/21/2017 18:07 EST

Thank you for the info. I was basically looking to see if there is a curriculum somebody could recommend that will be accepted by traditional educational systems, specifically a North American curriculum in case my child wanted to move onto college or university in the future.

Steve4robertson
  4/1/2017 19:08 EST

This is a great alternative and not considered home schooling.
My sons, 9 and 13 both attend International Connections Academy successfully for a U.S. diploma. Web page http://www.internationalconnectionsacademy.com
+1.888.260.4159

Positive experience with challenging curriculum and well accredited faculty. I think you'll enjoy the connections. My best wishes on your journey!

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MontseBentley
  11/14/2018 14:24 EST

Hi to everyone! My name is Montse, I have been in Costa Rica for the past 15 years, moved from Canada! I did homeschooling here and I’m doing it with my 3 kids, although homeschooling is not legal in Costa Rica, there are laws that say it isn’t illegal as well, if anyone has some questions, I’m happy to answer and explain how I do it and help you out with the process, my husband and I are always happy to find other families that are living the same style as we do! My phone number is+50684219609 and email address is [email protected], we are currently in San Jose, I work in heredia for IBM and my husband for GSK, so our dreams of living on the ocean side went away lol! But I’m always free for questions and I totally understand the process and how the laws work here, so happy to help!

MontseBentley
  7/5/2019 11:09 EST

Hello friends, Please note that my contact information has changed so if you need to reach me out, please PM me here to provide you more details. Also, know that I have set a consultation fee, details can be provided via PM as well.

peter2017
  7/5/2019 21:26 EST

Vaunsmom

Are you a licensed teacher?

If not, you have no business homeschooling anyone, especially your children imho.

I recommend a real school with an IB program.

acastillo
  7/6/2019 09:05 EST

Hi peter2017. You are responding to a 2 year old thread. Also, who asked your opinion on whether somebody "has business" homeschooling?

PombinhaCoco7
  7/6/2019 13:16 EST

Acastillo
It doesn’t matter how old this post was.
People are always asking about it.
If I were you I wouldn’t be rude to Peter 2017 because he knows what he is saying.
I know someone got an ultimatum before: to put their kids in a real school or leave the country.

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Kohl
  7/6/2019 17:35 EST

This 'requirement' is one for those families that are legal residents.

peter2017
  7/8/2019 17:01 EST

Acastillo,

The question was about homeschooling, specifically homeschooling in CR.

There is no homeschooling in CR. Period.

What some expats/nomads do to their kids borders on child abuse, IMHO.

How do I know? Check admissions stats to top university programs. Where do majority of these kids come from? Not homeschooling, that is for sure.

You would not do an open heart surgery on your kid if he/she needed one, so leave the teaching job to professionals.

My kids went through IB programs and were very well prepared for their undergrad work.

That is what I recommend to all kids who wish to pursue professional degrees: medicine, engineering, law etc.

You can do whatever you want with your kids, just don’t complain when they end up poor and continue to live with you until they are 50.

guestuser
  7/9/2019 08:02 EST

Oh my goodness---leave it to the pros? Sure if your children are lucky enough to be in a good private or charter school. Leaving it to some of the average public schools your kids may as well not attend! The children today are leaving high school with what use to be about an 8th grade education! Ever ask a kid who were the first three Presidents?? Oh and what a real value today to have your child go to a college where they are indoctrinated by delusional liberals. Send you children to a great Tech school to actually learn something that is useful to society. The funny thing is all these kids who went to college and cant find work now are fighting for the average US taxpayer to foot the bill for their mistake. I find the average Tico so much better educated--they still actually have to read books! When I asked my kids English teacher that they read it was literally a form or Readers Digest Condensed books! Pitiful. After I learned that I am very happy they know how to paint cars--change engines and build houses. Along with plumbing and electrical.

lindyluvsCR
  7/9/2019 08:28 EST

GBP - I agree. I know people with professional degrees and cannot get a job - they are over qualified. The schools in US, most of the time the time trying to get their attention. In college, many students are their just to party, drug, and drink.

horsenut2000
  7/9/2019 09:56 EST

Regarding the people who went to school and can't find work, it is not that they are over qualified. There is massive age discrimination once you hit your 40's. Companies do not want to pay for talent and then complain they can't find "qualified employees" to fill positions. Additionally, I can also tell you that universities misrepresent their programs to young students about their placement statistics and then end up saddled with massive debt that they cannot pay back. The attempts to hold these universities accountable is being dismantled left and right, leaving students with degrees or half-finished degrees that are not worth the paper they are printed on.

Homeschooling continues to increase with proven success. I would encourage you to read up on the facts.

The home-educated typically score 15 to 30 percentile points above public-school students on standardized academic achievement tests. (The public school average is the 50th percentile; scores range from 1 to 99.) A 2015 study found Black homeschool students to be scoring 23 to 42 percentile points above Black public school students (Ray, 2015).

* Homeschool students score above average on achievement tests regardless of their parents’ level of formal education or their family’s household income.

* Whether homeschool parents were ever certified teachers is not related to their children’s academic achievement.

* Degree of state control and regulation of homeschooling is not related to academic achievement.

* Home-educated students typically score above average on the SAT and ACT tests that colleges consider for admissions.

* Homeschool students are increasingly being actively recruited by colleges.

https://www.nheri.org/research-facts-on-homeschooling/

https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=91

horsenut2000
  7/9/2019 10:21 EST

And regarding the kids who "just want to party and not study at college", our newly appointed Supreme Court Judge did just that and look where he landed.....

lindyluvsCR
  7/9/2019 14:18 EST

Horsenut - I agree. I have friends who have home schooled their kids for years, and are intelligent, well-behaved, hard working. and taught good morals.

peter2017
  7/9/2019 14:40 EST

Horsenut2000,

I have read the documents provided in your links.

Homeschooling is a fringe movement. Only 3% students in the US are being “educated” at home. Out of those, 10% end up taking calculus, there is no data on how many complete it and with what results. 30% students take chemistry or biology.

The most commonly cited reasons for taking kids out of regular school were:
- provide proper religious teachings
- provide moral guidance
- safety of regular schools: drugs crime etc.

I fail to see how parents can provide better quality of education than a team of trained teachers.

You are setting up your kids for failure by “schooling” them at home.

I have never met or heard of any professional (doctor, engineer or lawyer) who was homeschooled.
If you did, congratulations you found a black swan.

Can you really, with a straight face explain the multi variable differential equations, use of literary devices, intricacies of organic chemistry, dna duplication, why evolution is a fact to your child at home?

People who think they can are either ignorant or simply uneducated.

Regarding the liberal brainwashing, well, if you give your kids the right epistemological tools, they will be immune to any type of brainwashing, political or religious. They will be able to read and analyze the data and draw the correct conclusions.

Schooling your own kids is a bad idea. Provide them with guidance but preventing them from learning from experts and other peers is just plain dumb, imho.

Show me any stats that indicate that homeschooling provides an academic advantage over traditional schools in subsequent post secondary education and I will change my mind.

Lindajones
  7/9/2019 15:44 EST

Horsenut2000, I am forever skeptical of someone who publishes articles that state homeschoolers score generally higher on SAT and ACT exams. What are the actual stats? How about what are the SAT scores of those who attend college? Our Relationship throwing in all students and comparing them to homeschooled students who are prepped for college. This is nit a controlled nor fair comparison. I can tell you a family who decided to home school there children and never bought the books...but had cartons of cigarettes in the house. There is a huge faction who decided to home school because they do not believe in evolution. If you are college educated person and trained teacher, home schooling schooling may be a good alternative. My take is those students who care probably have a collective score above those who are home schooled. Then again, just observation from a Mom who has 2 kids in college.

Chattaroy
  7/9/2019 17:19 EST

Just a thought Peter2017, but you should perhaps use "IMO" rather than "IMHO".

horsenut2000
  7/9/2019 17:20 EST

Peter,

I do not have kids, so I have no dog in this fight. I have been a college educator in addition to working FT in the corporate world for more than 20 years and so I do know a few things about this topic not just professionally but having taught kids that have come into the college world home schooled.

I think to take and categorically say homeschooling is all bad is at best ignorant and not based on fact. Not all parents should be home schooling, just like not all people should be dog owners. But, we don't get to regulate this and so making fact based decisions using good information what should be pursued.

Peter, as for providing you with more data. Provide me data that backs up your statements and then I can spend more time showing you more fact based information to back up what I have already provided.

horsenut2000
  7/9/2019 17:21 EST

LindaJones- the data you seek is in the links I provided. Please take the time to look at those websites. The data is there.

peter2017
  7/9/2019 21:16 EST

Horsenut2000,

Well, let me ask you this:

Which learning option do you think is more effective from the student perspective: homeschooling or a good school with an IB or AP program? Which is better to produce an academic overachiever?

Have you ever worked from home? Now think how teenagers manage their time.

It takes a long time to develop good time management and critical thinking skills.

Homeschooling is not the best environment to achieve that.

People who think they can do it are swimming up the stream and do not know why.

horsenut2000
  7/10/2019 01:05 EST

Peter,

I have worked from home for many many years. It is not for everyone but working from home continues to grow by leaps and bounds every day. I have worked from home FT for the past 5 years.

Your entitled to your opinion but that does not make your opinion fact and trying to present it as such is misleading.

acastillo
  7/10/2019 09:01 EST

@peter2017
Homeschooling is neither child abuse nor open heart surgery. If you don't approve of homeschooling then don't do it, but for you to tell someone else they "don't have business" homeschooling is arrogant and rude.

peter2017
  7/10/2019 11:56 EST

Acastillo, if you think my comment was rude, you did not understand it.

In any case, we need more plumbers, gardeners and cleaning ladies, so homeschool away.

My comments were directed at people who can foresee the long-term consequences of their actions.

Feel free to ignore my experiences raising my own kids and my recommendations.

Homeschool away.

horsenut2000
  7/10/2019 18:01 EST

Peter,

Do you consider Condoleezza Rice or Serena Williams successful? You can choose to not recognize that homeschooling has many wonderful benefits. You can choose to only look for the bad anecdotal stories and you will find them. Plenty of home schooled kids have gotten into Ivy League schools. But, until you look at this from a FACT based position, you will always have the views you have. I personally don't care what you do or don't do with your kids.

Here are some more facts!
https://thestir.cafemom.com/celebrity_moms/172992/10_superfamous_homeschool_success_stories/116359/condoleezza_rice/3

Stringbender
  7/17/2019 08:27 EST

Ah Well, everyone is entitled to their opinion, no matter how lame it is. :-)

Tuanis
  3/29/2020 10:16 EST

Hello I would like to contact you to see the posibilites to do homeschooling in Costa Rica? Thanks.

lindyluvsCR
  3/29/2020 12:09 EST

Tuanis - The last post on this thread was in July last year. Did you go through all the comments? And WHO is the YOU you are wanting to contact???

vsami
  6/10/2020 14:48 EST

how is that not considered homeschooling? I was under the impression that in Costa Rica it is mandatory for children to attend a physical school... am I wrong about this? did you find a loophole?

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